Hafren
Encyclopedia
Hafren is the name of a mythical person in Geoffrey of Monmouth
's pseudo-history Historia Regum Britanniae
. The name is cognate with the root of a number of river names in Britain
and Ireland
and is the modern Welsh name for the River Severn
(Afon Hafren).
Geoffrey of Monmouth represents her as a princess drowned in the river Severn (Afon Hafren) that was named after her. Her story may be derived from a pre-Celt
ic deity of that river by the same name, thus the name corresponding to Welsh Hafren occurs in Ireland
in the form of Sabrann, an old name of the river Lee
that flows through the city of Cork
.
The story given by Geoffrey is that King Locrinus
fell in love with princess Estrildis
of Germany
, abducted by the Huns
who invaded Britain under Chief Humber following the death of Brutus of Troy
. However, Locrinus was already engaged to Princess Gwendolen, daughter of Corineus
of Cornwall
. Although Locrinus eventually fathered an heir called Maddan with his Queen Gwendolen, he could not give up his love for the German princess Estrildis and he also fathered a daughter with her called Hafren. After Corineus died, Locrinus left his queen to live with Estrildis and his daughter Hafren. Enraged at the slight, Gwendolen raised a Cornish army against Locrinus and killed him in battle. Estrildis and her daughter Hafren were drowned in the river Severn.
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
's pseudo-history Historia Regum Britanniae
Historia Regum Britanniae
The Historia Regum Britanniae is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation...
. The name is cognate with the root of a number of river names in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and is the modern Welsh name for the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
(Afon Hafren).
Geoffrey of Monmouth represents her as a princess drowned in the river Severn (Afon Hafren) that was named after her. Her story may be derived from a pre-Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic deity of that river by the same name, thus the name corresponding to Welsh Hafren occurs in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in the form of Sabrann, an old name of the river Lee
River Lee (Ireland)
The Lee is a river in Ireland. It rises in the Shehy Mountains on the western border of County Cork and flows eastwards through Cork City, where it splits in two for a short distance, creating an island on which Cork's city centre is built, and empties into the Celtic Sea at Cork Harbour on the...
that flows through the city of Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
.
The story given by Geoffrey is that King Locrinus
Locrinus
Locrinus was a legendary king of the Britons, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the oldest son of Brutus and a descendant of the Trojans through Aeneas. Following Brutus's death, Britain was divided amongst the three sons, with Locrinus receiving the portion roughly equivalent to...
fell in love with princess Estrildis
Estrildis
Estrildis was the legendary daughter of the king of Germany according to Geoffrey of Monmouth. She was found in the ships of Humber the Hun after his defeat by Locrinus, son of Brutus. She was said to be the most beautiful woman of her time and Locrinus sought to marry her. Unfortunately,...
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, abducted by the Huns
Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
who invaded Britain under Chief Humber following the death of Brutus of Troy
Brutus of Troy
Brutus or Brute of Troy is a legendary descendant of the Trojan hero Æneas, known in mediæval British legend as the eponymous founder and first king of Britain...
. However, Locrinus was already engaged to Princess Gwendolen, daughter of Corineus
Corineus
Corineus, in medieval British legend, was a prodigious warrior, a fighter of giants, and the eponymous founder of Cornwall.According to Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain , he led the descendants of the Trojans who fled with Antenor after the Trojan War and settled on the coasts...
of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. Although Locrinus eventually fathered an heir called Maddan with his Queen Gwendolen, he could not give up his love for the German princess Estrildis and he also fathered a daughter with her called Hafren. After Corineus died, Locrinus left his queen to live with Estrildis and his daughter Hafren. Enraged at the slight, Gwendolen raised a Cornish army against Locrinus and killed him in battle. Estrildis and her daughter Hafren were drowned in the river Severn.